Grenade and the like.



w. MIILLS.

GRENADE AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE15. 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

W. MILLS.

GRENADE AND. THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1915.

Patented SHEET 2.

..W. MILLS.

SRENADE AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION nun JUNE 15. 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WILLIAM MILLS, or BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

GBENAIDE Ann THE LIKE}.

Speciflcationof Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 191 '7.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1915. Serial No. 34,232.

To all wkomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM MILLS, a subject of the Kingdom of GreatBritain, residing at Atlas Aluminium Works, Grove street, Birmingham, inthe county of VVarwick, England, engineer, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in or Relating to Grenades and the like, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in, or relatingto,-grenades, and the like, and is applicable to an explosive grenadewhich can be thrown by hand, or by means of-a sling, catapult, gun, orgrenade projecting machine, or which can be thrown or dropped fromair-ships or aeroplanes.

The type of grenade to which the present invention refers is that inwhich the grenade comprises or involves a hollow body adapted to containthe explosive charge, within which body a springimpelledstriker isincorpo-, rated, which is normally retained in its retracted conditionby a lever disposed externally and adapted to be retained in relationthereto normally by retaining means, and, when such means have beenreleased, by the hand grasping the grenade, so as to be released in theact of throwing the grenade.

-- leased by the hand.

In grenades of this type heretofore proposed the external lever has.been adapted to rock on the edge of the opening in the grenade body fromwhich the striker pro- 3ects'-this arrangement I have foundunsatisfactory in action and the lever 15 liable to fail to release thestriker. My present invention has for its pur ose to provlde for a freeand particularly e ective and certain operation of the lever and withthis object in view the external member is mounted with a pivotadvantageously constituted by trunnions adapted to-work in bearingsprovlded upon or in connection with the body of the grenade.

The member fornormally retalmng the lever in relation to the body of thegrenade is according to the present inventlon advantageouslyincorporated in connectlon with the part or half of the lever 1n thevicinity of the striker or member which it controls, so that during theoperation of releasing the lever, the other part or half thereof can begrasped by the hand, whereby in this grasping operation the greatestPOSSlble leverage is obtained which reduces the possibility of the leverbeing accidentally re- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a handgrenade according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates separately in perspective the external lever of thegrenade shown in Figs. 1 and 2. a

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified hand grenade according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 5 illustrates in perspective, separately, the external lever of thegrenade shown in Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is-a sectional elevation of a further modification of the presentinvention.

Fig. 7 illustrates in. sectional elevation a still further modifiedembodiment of the present invention.

In aconvenient embodiment of the present invention, as shown in thedrawings, a is the hollow body of the grenade which may be of anysuitable shape or form, adapted to contain an explosive charge. Withinthis body a tubular housing I) is incorporated, in winch aspring-impelled sliding or longitudinal hammer c is disposed, adapted tooperate upon a cap d, which latter is in communicatlon with a time fuseewhich leads to the detonator f, the latter being contained in a secondtubular housing 9 and-being adapted to fire the explosive contained inthe body of the grenade.

The hammer-c is retained in its retracted position shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings by an external lever 72., the extremity z' of which isadapted to engage with the under side of a flange or enlargement 7'provided at or upon the outer extremity or part of the hammer, thislever being extended around the exterior of the body of the grenade, sothat it can be retained in relation to the latter by the hand graspingthe grenade, the lever being adapted to release the hammer the grenadewhen it is itself released by hand or the throwing appliance in the actof throwing.

One method of retaining the lever in its normal position in relation tothe grenade is shown in the drawings, and comprises a split pin isadapted to be passed through perforations in the lever, and also throughperforations in lugs or projections Z provided upon or integral with thebody at positions one mal position,

the enlargement j on each side of the lever. It will be noted that theprovision for incorporating this pin is conveniently disposed near tothe extremity of the lever in the vicinity of the hammer c, or in thepartor half of the lever associated'with such hammer, so that the end weof the tail of the lever can be retained by the hand grasping thegrenade, a high standard of leverage being thereby insured during theoperation of removing the split pin it. The split pin Z: is convenientlycomposed of metal of a pliable character, so that the sections of thepin may be opened to prevent the possibility of accidental separation ofthe pin at a time before it is desired to throw the grenade. The twosplit portions of the projecting part of the pin may, how-- ever, becollectively bent, as for instance in a direction toward the body of thegrenade, as shown in Fig. 2. A ring may be incorporated to assistremoval of the pin.

While I have described with particularity one device for retaining thelever in its nor- 1 wish it to be understood that the retaining meansmay be varied considerabl 'I he lever 72. may conveniently be of channelform, and the part of the lever at the base of the channel adjacent tothe head of the striker with which the lever engages may be formed to aconcave or recessed shape so that the base part of the channel lever mayengage with the head of the striker around a substantial part ofthecircumference.

At a position near to the head of the striker the lever is furnishedwith a fixed pivot n so incorporated as to project in the form oftrunnions, one on each side of the lever, which trunnions are ada ted towork in grooves provided in lugs, ri s, or projec tions 0 integrallyprovided upon the-external surface of the body.

As shown in the drawings, the lever 71, is of such form and soincorporated in relation to the external surface'of the grenade thatwhen the tail of the-said lever h fiies or moves away from the body ofthe grenade, the extremity of the lever in the vicinity of of thestriker can not come into contact-with the body of the grenade in amanner which would foul the action of the lever.

The form ofgrenade which has been described is adapted to be thrown byhand, or by a throwing appliance. In thelatter case the throwingappliance is furnished with a ring, socket or the like for the reccptionof the body of the grenade, and such ring, socket or the like is adaptedto receive the tail of the lever it, so that the latter is retained inits normal position until, the grenade actually leaves .the throwingappliance,

p is a socket which may if desired be suitably furnished in the closuremember 9 of The socket p may be alternatively utilized" for thereception of a rod, lug, or projection adapted to be inserted into thebarrel of a rifle when itis desired to utilize the latter for thepurpose'of projecting the grenade, or such a rod, lug or projection maybe formed integrally with the closure member 9. A socket orring such ashas been described in connection with the throwing appliance is suitablysecured to the barrel of the rifle, and is adapted to engage with thelever and retain it in relation to the body of the grenade when thegrenade is assembled in the barrel of the rifle, so that when thegrenade is projected from the rifle the lever is automatically released.

- In cases in which the grenade is projected by a throwing appliance orby a rifle, it is desirable to assemble the grenade in' relation to thering or socket pertaining to the, throw ing appliance or rifle beforethe split pin is or other equivalent means for retaining the lever isremoved.

In cases in which the grenade is furnished with a shaft or handle bywhich the grenade may be thrown, the lever may, if desired, be appliedto the handle as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 6, the tubular housing6 for containing the spring-impelled striker o is contained within thehandle, and other characteristics of the grenade will be understood fromthe foregoing description, which substantially applies equally to Fig.6. In Fig. 7, the lever 1" is disposed in relation to the handle, butits point of pivotal movement in relation to the latter is near to, orat the end of, the handle adjoining the body of the grenade, instead ofnear to, or at the end of, the handle remote from such body. The lever9" upon being released, is adapted torelease the striker 0. The lever 7*may be permanently pivoted to the handle at s or it may be furnishedwith trunnions working in bearings comprised of grooves or slotssuitably incorporated in the handle. Other characteristics of thegrenade shown in Fig. '7 will be understood from the foregoingdescription, which substantially applies equally to Fig. 7. In Figs. 6and 7, the detonator housing is disposed in alinement with. the housingfor the striker, instead of being disposed to the one side of thehousing for the I may also employ in connection with the presentinvention, the invention comprised in my concurrent application SerialNo. 34,234, filed of even date herewith, but I do not in thisapplication make any claim to anything claimed in my said concurrentapplication.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A grenade or the like, said grenade comprising in combinationmeans for firing or exploding the grenade, an externally disposed leveradapted to control the firing means, and retaining means for said leverarranged in connection with the part or half of the lever in thevicinity of the said firing means which it controls.

2. A grenade or the like, said grenade comprising in combination meansfor firing or exploding the grenade, an externally disposed leveradapted to control the firing means, and manually removable retainingmeans for said lever arranged in connection with the part or half of thelever in the vicinity of the said firing means which it controls, thehalf of said lever remote from said firing means being exposed to thegrasp of the hand when being removed.

3. A grenade or the like, said grenade comprising in combination meansfor firing or exploding the grenade, an externally disposed pivotedlever adapted to control the firing means, and manually removableretaining means for said lever arranged in connection with the part orhalf of the lever in the vicinity of the said firing means which itcontrols, the half of said lever remote from said firing means beingexposed to the grasp of the hand when said retaining means is bemgremoved. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presenceof two witnesses.

WILLIAM MILLS.

said retaining means is Witnesses: ARTHUR H. BBOW'N,

CHARLES RIGBY.

